UPDATED 9/9/21

Welcome to the i.d.e.a. Museum! Please check out these FAQs below for some of the common questions about our ticket reservations and activities.

Also, please note that we will be continuing to update you regarding any changes to our operations.

Q: Will I be required to get a ticket online?

A: Visitors can purchase admission tickets at the door or online to save time and skip the line. Online tickets are good for any time during business hours for the date purchased, unless otherwise specified (such as during special events). Members do not need to reserve tickets online for regular daily admission (special events may require registration); please check in at the member desk. Online admission tickets are available approximately 1-2 weeks in advance. Same-day tickets are not available online. Regular admission is $9 for ages 1 and up. i.d.e.a. Museum members and babies 11 months and younger will be admitted free of charge.

Purchase tickets online here: https://my.mesaaz.gov/3mzvMmf

I Love Mesa Day (Sept. 25) special event tickets (advanced registration encouraged): https://my.mesaaz.gov/2WQ6Orl

Q: Can I use coupons or passes to visit the museum?

A: At this time, we are not accepting any passes or coupons. Admission is $9 per person ages 1 and up; i.d.e.a. Museum members are free. Learn more about membership.

Visitors with EBT cards may still reserve admission through our Museums for All program, which allows up to 6 members of your family to attend for $2 per person. Please be prepared to show your EBT card when you arrive.

We will keep you posted when we again accept coupons and passes. Thank you for your patience.

Q: Are masks or proof of vaccination required?

A: The City of Mesa continues to monitor pending litigation and recent executive orders involving the ability of municipalities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Governor Doug Ducey’s Executive Order 2021-09 precludes municipalities from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination status to enter any building, including Mesa-owned and operated venues such as the i.d.e.a Museum. We are actively monitoring the course of the pandemic in Arizona as we strive to balance public safety and the services we provide to residents, businesses, employees and visitors

While face coverings are optional at City of Mesa facilities, we encourage visitors to continue to exercise precautions, including getting vaccinated, wearing masks if unvaccinated and staying at home when not feeling well. To help mitigate the spread of germs, the museum has enhanced cleaning procedures and added hand sanitizer stations throughout the galleries. Additionally, we’ve installed Plasma Air ionization systems at the museum and signage to encourage frequent hand washing and proper cough/sneeze containment.

We ask all guests who are not feeling well or experiencing symptoms of illness – such as fever, cough, nausea or shortness of breath – to stay home and postpone their visit.

Q: What are your cleaning protocols?

A: Staff rotates in clean toys and materials daily, and both staff and volunteers tidy up activities and wipe down common spaces and toys several times a day.  Additionally, a professional cleaning crew comes out daily when we are closed for more thorough cleanings – including sanitizing bathrooms and drinking fountains.

Deep cleaning and larger exhibition maintenance projects takes place when the museum is closed on Mondays.

If you notice a dirty toy or untidy space, please bring it to our staff’s attention as soon as possible. We’ve also added “Yuck Buckets” throughout the museum to place used toys/materials.

Q: Are some spaces closed?

A: We’re happy to announce the Black Light Room and Zen Den recently reopened, and the HUB Classroom is available for a snack break. Also, birthday parties return in September.

At this time, the Snackery and Art Studio remain temporarily closed and some in-person workshops are on a pause. We’ll keep you posted when they are available.

Please note: The Whiteman Family Exhibition Gallery closes during exhibition changeovers. Robo Art runs July 1-Jan. 2, 2022. A changeover is planned for Jan. 3-Jan. 24, 2022.

Activities in our spaces are rotated occasionally to provide new experiences for our regular visitors and may change without notice. We’ve added some low- and no-touch activities for a diversity of experiences. Please check out our HUB Gallery and ArtVille pages for current activities.

Q: What do you mean by low- and no-touch activities?

A: For some of our well-known touch activities, such as iArt and the Tech Table, a stylus is available for those interactives. We also added a few new activities.

  • In ArtVille, we’ve added mirror play, balance beams, barn animals and Art’s RV.
  • In the HUB Gallery, we added Optical Illusions.

Q: Can I bring my stroller?

A: Yes. As always, in an effort to keep our space as clean as possible, strollers are not permitted in the ArtVille gallery. Stroller parking is conveniently located adjacent to ArtVille.

Q: My membership is expired during the temporary closure. Was my museum membership extended?

A: Yes, all museum memberships were paused during our temporary closure and re-activated on Nov. 1, 2020. Memberships were extended 7 months past their original expiration date. Members were notified of their updated expiration dates in December 2020. At this time, no additional extensions will be honored. Please check your member email for details regarding your specific membership.

Q: I’m a donor, sponsor, funder or other VIP. Can I reserve a ticket?

A: To thank you for your support, we have tours especially for you. For more information, contact Development Manager Lindsay Hochhalter at 480-644-5564 or lindsay.hochhalter@mesaaz.gov.

Admission FYIs

Please look over our museum admission policy to learn more about museum guidelines and protocols.

Note: We’ll be updating this document and our website FAQs regularly.